Summary:
A champion trainer, Dr. Lew Sterrett has used patience and a firm but gentle hand to earn the trust of more than 3,500 horses, from wild mustangs to the most sophisticated European breeds. Through his horses, Lew illustrates Christian relationship principles for parents, young people, business leaders and athletes. Lew’s engaging style and striking anecdotes make this a winning read and not just for horse lovers.

Lew Street (Ph. D) had little idea that his boyhood interest in horses would open doors internationally for speaking and training. During his years in 4-H, he savored many opportunities to train and show horses and earn national recognition. As a student leader at Penn State University he benefited from many mentoring relationships from which he received valuable training, experience and honors. This foundation provided a basis for an extensive horse career with a unique emphasis on training youth and community leaders.
Lew has served as the Executive Director of Miracle Mountain Ranch Missions, Inc. (MMRM) since 1977. He has also promoted safety in public riding programs, serving as President of the Certified Horse Association for 7 years. A licensed pastor, certified Youth, Marriage and Family Counselor, he earned his PhD from North Tennessee Seminary in 2007.
In addition to a host of published resources and regular T.V. programs, Lew travels extensively presenting his horse training messages under the banners of Principle Based Training, Leaders by Heart, and Sermon on the Mount. Find out more on his website.

My Opinion:
This was a pleasant book to read and I enjoyed the pictures that were included. A lot of non-fiction can be dull and long winded, but this was very easy to read and the stories were interesting. Who would have thought that horse training would be interesting and the things learned could be applied to your everyday life?

I Rated This Book:
4/5 Stars

CONTEST:
Tweet the following to be entered to win a $50 Amazon gift card & signed copies of Lew’s book!

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Life Lessons from a Horse Whisperer: not just for horse lovers! http://ow.ly/169ym RT to win $50 to @amazon #LewSterrett

Summary:
My name is Gin, and I kill people. They call me the Spider. I’m the most feared assassin in the South- when I’m not busy at the Pork Pit cooking up the best barbecue in Ashland. As a Stone elemental, I can hear everything fromt he whispers of the gravel beneath my feet to the vibrations of the soaring Appalachian Mountains above me. My Ice magic also comes in handy for making the occasional knife. But I don’t use my powers on the job unless I absolutely have to. Call it professional pride.
Now that a ruthless Air elemental has double-crossed me and killed my handler, I’m out for revenge. And I’ll exterminate anyone who gets in my way- good or bad. I may look hot, but I’m still one of the bad guys. Which is why I’m in trouble, since irrestibly rugged Detective Donovan Caine has agreed to help me. The last thing this coldhearted killer needs when I’m battling a magic more powerful than my own is a sexy distraction… especially when Donovan wants me dead just as much as the enemy.

Jennifer Estep is an author, prowling the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea. She is also an award-winning features page designer for a daily newspaper. She writes the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series for Pocket Books and is also an author of the Bigtime paranormal romance series, including Karma Girl, Hot Mama, and Jinx. Visit her website at www.jenniferestep.com.

My Opinion:
Right from the beginning I knew this would be a book full of action, which I love. Gin is a well paid assassin who loves cooking and her job. She has issues from her past, like the loss of her family, that leave her feeling alone. The only one she trusts is her boss/handler Fletcher.

After this last job he says she could retire and try to live a ‘normal’ life. Gin isn’t so happy about retiring. Things go wrong and now she has to rely on the help of a Detective who hates her because she murdered his partner. It was interesting to see how they worked together.

I was up most of the night the night before and then around 2:00 am, Nellie got off or fell off the couch and then she kept falling and her legs where going every which way. MH and I were pretty concerned because she kept on doing it.

So he takes her to the emergency vet and they do blood work and check her out. Everything came back normal and they couldn’t find anything wrong with her. They told MH is she got worse to bring her back in. Not satisfied, he made an appointment with her regular doggie doctor and took her in this afternoon.

She was acting like she normally does and was eating, drinking and going to the bathroom just fine. The only problem is her falling down and acting like she has no control over her legs. Now her regular vet examined her and thought that maybe she hurt her back somehow, which is very possible the way she runs around all the time, and if she doesn’t improve they would do x-rays and see if there was any neurological problems.

So far last night she has been walking fine and still acts normal and happy. She is our baby so it was upsetting and neither one of us got much sleep….

And here I sit playing on the internet because I decided to change from Blogger to WordPress. I imported all my posts and had to go back and try again to get all my comments switched, but then it copied all of the posts, so I had to go through and delete all that and it still hasn’t imported all my comments. Oh well, I’m tired so I can figure out how to use WordPress later.

Summary:From the day Cobb and Mary meet kayaking on Maine’s Allagash River and fall deeply in love, the two approach life with the same sense of adventure they use to conquer the river’s treacherous rapids. But rivers do not let go so easily… and neither does their love. So when Mary’s life takes the cruelest turn, she vows to face those rough waters on her own terms and asks Cobb to promise, when the time comes, to help her return to their beloved river for one final journey.

Set against the rugged wilderness of Maine, the exotic islands of Indonesia, the sweeping panoramas of Yellowstone National Park, and the tranquil villages of rural New England, Eternal on The Water is at once heartbreaking and uplifting- a timeless, beautifully rendered story of true love’s power.

Joseph Monninger has received the National Endowment for the Arts fellowship twice, and has published award-winning fiction and non-fiction. Currently a college professor, he lives with his family in a converted barn near New Hampshire’s Baker River.

My Opinion:If you like love stories, you will enjoy this book and even if you don’t, you will still enjoy it. Mary’s body is found floating in the water….. then begins the story of Mary and Cobb’s meeting, falling in love and living a life full of adventure, all the while knowing that it will end. Mary is an interesting character. She loves life and lives it with no regrets. Both her and Cobb are both teachers, one of many things they have in common. She tells Cobb about her illness, Huntington’s Disease, and if he still wants to be with her to meet her in Indonesia. He does meet her and they do get married…. Very nicely written.

I know and have taken care of people who have had Huntington’s Disease and how awful it is.

By Mayo Clinic staff Huntington’s disease is a progressive, degenerative disease that causes certain nerve cells in your brain to waste away. As a result, you may experience uncontrolled movements, emotional disturbances and mental deterioration. Huntington’s disease is an inherited disease. Signs and symptoms usually develop in middle age. Younger people with Huntington’s disease often have a more severe case, and their symptoms may progress more quickly. Rarely, children may develop Huntington’s disease. Medications are available to help manage the signs and symptoms of Huntington’s disease, but treatments can’t prevent the physical and mental decline associated with the condition.

Today is considered President’s Day. Do you know how many U.S. Presidents there have been? The answer would be….. 44, but some say 43 because one President was in office two different times (non consecutive). I decided to give myself a little history lesson and looked up information about all the Presidents. This is some of the interesting things I found. I was going to list children but I didn’t want to get into that.

(1) George Washington 4/30/1789 until 3/4/1797 [Independent] Born in Virginia Went to College of William and Mary and received a Surveyor’s Certificate Was in the Virginia Militia, Virginia Regiment and the Continental Army-General Was an Episcopalian

(2) John Adams 3/4/1797 until 3/4/1801 [Federalist] Born in Massachusetts Went to Harvard University NO military service Was Congregationalist then Unitarian

(3) Thomas Jefferson 3/4/1801 until 3/4/1809 [Democratic-Republican] Born in Virginia Went to the College of William and Mary Was in the Virginia Militia-Colonel No specific religious beliefs

(4) James Madison 3/4/1809 until 3/4/1817 [Democratic-Republican] Born in Virginia Went to Princeton University Was in the Virginia Militia-Colonel Was Episcopalian

(5) James Monroe 3/4/1817 until 3/4/1825 [Democratic-Republican] Born in Virginia Went to the College of William and Mary Was in the Continental Army-Major Was Episcopalian

(6) John Quincy Adams 3/4/1825 until 3/4/1829 [Democratic-Republican National Republican] Born in Massachusetts Went to Leiden University and transferred to Harvard University NO military service Was Unitarian

(7) Andrew Jackson 3/4/1829 until 3/4/1837 [Democratic] Born in South Carolina NO college education Was in the North Carolina Militia and the United States Army-General Was Presbyterian

(8) Martin Van Buren 3/4/1837 until 3/4/1841 [Democratic] Born in New York NO college education NO military service Was Dutch Reformed

(9) William Henry Harrison 3/4/1841 until 4/4/1841 [Whig] Died of natural causes Born in Virginia Went to Hampden-Sydney College and University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine but Withdrew from Both Was in the United States Army-Major General Was Episcopalian

(10) John Tyler 4/4/1841 until 3/4/1845 [Whig/Independent] Born in Virginia Went to the College of William and Mary Was in the United States Army-Captain Was Episcopalian

(11) James K. Polk 3/4/1845 until 3/4/1849 [Democratic] Born in North Carolina Went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Was in the Tennessee State Militia-Colonel Was Methodist

(12) Zachary Taylor 3/4/1849 until 7/9/1850 [Whig] Died of natural causes Born in Virginia NO college education Was in the United States Army-Major General Was Episcopalian

(13) Millard Fillmore 7/9/1850 until 3/4/1853 [Whig] Born in New York NO college education Was in the New york State Militia-Major Was Unitarian

(14) Franklin Pierce 3/4/1853 until 3/4/1857 [Democratic] Born in New Hampshire Went to Bowdoin College Was in the United States Army-Brigadier General No religious affiliation but later became Episcopalian

(15) James Buchanan 3/4/1857 until 3/4/1861 [Democratic] Born in Pennsylvania Went to Dickinson College Was in the Pennsylvania State Militia-Private Was Presbyterian

(16) Abraham Lincoln 3/4/1861 until 4/15/1865 [Republican National Union] Assassinated Born in Kentucky NO college education Was in the Illinois State Militia-Captain No religious affiliation

(17) Andrew Johnson 4/15/1865 until 3/4/1869 [Democratic National Union/National Union Independent] Born in North Carolina NO college education Was in the United States Army-Brigadier General No religious affiliation

(18) Ulysses S. Grant 3/4/1869 until 3/4/1877 [Republican] Born in Ohio Went to the United States Military Academy Was in the United States Army-General Was Methodist then became Presbyterian

(19) Rutherford B. Hayes 3/4/1877 until 3/4/1881 [Republican] Born in Ohio Went to Kenyon College and Harvard law School Was in the United States Army-Major General No religious affiliation

(20) James A. Garfield 3/4/1881 until 9/19/1881 [Republican] Assassinated Born in Ohio Went to Hiram College and transferred to Williams College Was in the United States Army-Major General Was Disciples of Christ

(21) Chester A. Arthur 9/19/1881 until 3/4/1885 [Republican] Born in Vermont Went to Union College Was in the New York State Militia-Brigadier General Was Episcopalian

(22) Grover Cleveland 3/4/1885 until 3/4/1889 [Democratic] Born in New Jersey NO college education NO military service Was Presbyterian

(23) Benjamin Harrison 3/4/1889 until 3/4/1893 [Republican] Born in Ohio Went to Miami University Was in the United States Army-Brigadier General Was Presbyterian

(24) Grover Cleveland (second term) 3/4/1893 until 3/4/1897 [Democratic] NO college education NO military service Was Presbyterian

(25) William McKinley 3/4/1897 until 9/14/1901 [Republican] Assassinated Born in Ohio Went to Allegheny College and Albany Law School Was in the United States Army-Brevet Major Was Methodist

(26) Theodore Roosevelt 9/14/1901 until 3/4/1909 [Republican] Born in New York Went to Harvard University and Columbia Law School but withdrew Was in the United States Army-Colonel Was Dutch Reformed

(27) William Howard Taft 3/4/1909 until 3/4/1913 [Republican] Born in Ohio Went to Yale University and University of Cincinnati College of Law NO military service Was Unitarian

(28) Woodrow Wilson 3/4/1913 until 3/4/1921 [Democratic] Born in Virginia Went to Davidson College and transferred to Princeton University. Also went to University of Virginia School of Law but withdrew and Johns Hopkins University and received a PhD NO military service Was Presbyterian

(29) Warren G. Harding 3/4/1921 until 8/2/1923 [Republican] Died of natural causes Born in Ohio Went to Ohio Central College NO military service Was Baptist

(30) Calvin Coolidge 8/2/1923 until 3/4/1929 [Republican] Born in Vermont Went to Amherst College NO military service Was Congregationalist

(31) Herbert Hoover 3/4/1929 until 3/4/1933 [Republican] Born in Iowa Went to Stanford University NO military service Was Quaker

(32) Franklin D. Roosevelt 3/4/1933 until 4/12/1945 [Democratic] Died of natural causes Born in New York Went to Harvard University and Columbia Law School but withdrew NO military service Was Episcopalian

(33) Harry S. Truman 4/12/1945 until 1/20/1953 [Democratic] Born in Missouri Went to University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law but withdrew Was in the United States Army & United States Army Reserve-Colonel Was Baptist

(34) Dwight D. Eisenhower 1/20/1953 until 1/20/1961 [Republican] Born in Texas Went to the United States Military Academy Was in the United States Army-General Was Presbyterian

(35) John F. Kennedy 1/20/1961 until 11/22/1963 [Democratic] Assassinated Born in Massachusetts Went to the London School of Economics and transferred to Princeton University then transferred to Harvard University. Also went to Stanford Graduate School of Business but withdrew Was in the United States Navy-Lieutenant Was Roman Catholic

(36) Lyndon B. Johnson 11/22/1963 until 1/20/1969 [Democratic] Born in Texas Went to Texas State University-San Marcos and Georgetown University Law Center but withdrew Was in the United States Naval Reserve-Commander Was Disciples of Christ

(37) Richard Nixon 1/20/1969 until 8/9/1974 [Republican] Resigned Born in California Went to Whittier College and Duke University School of Law Was in the United States naval Reserve-Commander Was Quaker

(38) Gerald Ford 8/9/1974 until 1/20/1977 [Republican] Born in Nebraska Went to the University of Michigan and Yale Law School Was in the United States Naval Reserve-Lieutenant Commander Was Episcopalian

(39) Jimmy Carter 1/20/1977 until 1/20/1981 [Democratic] Born in Georgia Went to Georgia Southwestern College and transferred to Georgia Institute of Technology then transferred to the United States Naval Academy Was in the United States Navy-Lieutenant Was Baptist

(40) Ronald Reagan 1/20/1981 until 1/20/1989 [Republican] Born in Illinois Went to Eureka College Was in United States Army Reserve & United States Army Air Corps-Captain Was Presbyterian

(41) George H. W. Bush 1/20/1989 until 1/20/1993 [Republican] Born in Massachusetts Went to Yale University Was in United States Naval Reserve-Lieutenant Was Episcopalian

(42) Bill Clinton 1/20/1993 until 1/20/2001 [Democratic] Born in Arkansas Went to Georgetown University and University of Oxford and Yale Law School NO military service Was Baptist

(43) George W. Bush 1/20/2001 until 1/20/2009 [Republican] Born in Connecticut Went to Yale University and Harvard Business School Was in Texas Air National Guard-First Lieutenant Was Methodist

(44) Barak Obama 1/20/2009 until present [Democratic] Born in Hawaii Went to Occidental College and transferred to Columbia University and also went to Harvard law School NO military service Is unaffiliated Christian

How many do you recognize? Did you notice there were 6 WITHOUT any college education? There are also 12 WHO HAD NO military service. I guess I can say I did learn something today.

I was thinking today, sometimes a scary thought, and wondered what it was I would really like to receive on Valentine’s Day… Just having MH tell me he loves me is more than enough. I don’t remember getting much for Valentine’s Day at any time. I’m sure over my lifetime I have gotten something, but for the life of me, I don’t recall what it would be. Of course there are the parties you have in school and gifts from parents, but I won’t count those.

What would you like and from whom? What is your most memorable gift? How many of you HATE Valentine’s Day?

It wouldn’t be Valentine’s Day without chocolate! One of my favorites, Hershey’s, has some great tasting items for giving (and eating). We tried out four of them…. Reese’s Peanut Butter Hearts Valentine Exchange come in the perfect snack size for children/adults to give to one another and each heart has To: and From: on it, with 30 pieces per bag. You can also choose from heart shaped Jolly Rancher Lollipops (20 pieces), Kit Kat (30 pieces), and Assortment Pack (30 pieces).

Hershey’s Bliss Milk Chocolate with a Raspberry Meltaway Center is also heart shaped in colored foil and swirls. I love fruit flavors and this wasn’t disappointing. You may remember the review and giveaway I did last year for Hershey’s Bliss, well, this is a perfect fit with the other Bliss flavors. You can’t eat just one!

Pot Of Gold Premium Collection Pecan Caramel Clusters in a red heart shaped box and a gold bow. There are several different varieties of candy and boxes to choose from, so you can get their favorite. It is so nice to look at you really don’t want to open it, but how else are you going to get to the goodies inside?

And lastly, everyone’s favorite, Milk Chocolate Kisses, wrapped in red, pink and silver foil and hearts. Fill up a candy dish, use in recipes, give in a gift bag, wrap in tulle tied with a ribbon… the ideas are endless.

Visit the Hershey’s website to find gift ideas, recipes, crafts, and even make Valentine’s cards to print yourself or send by e-mail.

‘I received samples and information from Hershey’s to facilitate my review and I was not compensated in any other way. This is my honest opinion only.’

Summary:Single? Married? Stupid? You’re a smart person. You really are. Most of the time. So why are you having such trouble making sense of your love life? Whether you’re single and wondering where the one is hiding, head over heels in a new dating relationship and vowing that this time it’ll work, or finding that married life isn’t the thrilling adventure you’d once anticipated… you might be surprised to discover that the answer may lie in your own Cupidity.

Cupidity: stupid love. Hayley and Michael DiMarco have been there- and survived. In this book, they identify 50 of the most common acts of Cupidity, ways to avoid them and learn from them, and some surprising things God has to say about relationships. If you think you may have been struck by a few of stupid Cupid’s arrows, there’s good news: stupid love doesn’t have to be terminal. With the help of a little inside information, smart, successful love can be just around the corner.

Hayley and Michael DiMarco are the visionaries behind Hungry Planet, a company intensely focused on feeding the world’s appetite for truth by producing books and new media, taking on issues of faith and life with a distinctly modern voice. They are the proud parents of dozens of Hungry Planet books (including Dateable, Marriable, Mean Girls, and The Woman of Mystery); The Hungry Planet Bible Project, a 10,000- mile road trip designed to give a voice to the hungry and homeless; and one amazing human, their daughter, Addison. Visit Hungry Planet at www.babbleofthesexes.com.

My Opinion:I found this book to be interesting, informative and at times, funny. It’s true that people do plenty of stupid things in relationships, and this book points some of those out and what you can do to avoid it. With Scripture references, it shows how people should think, act and treat one another in an easy to read way. You don’t have to be in a relationship to benefit from this book, because you can use the advice in any kind of day to day interactions. With Valentine’s Day just a few days away, this would make a good gift- especially if it’s read together. The Cupidity Quiz at the beginning of the book was fun too.

I Rated This Book:3.5/5 Stars

How Well Do You Score on theCUPIDITY QUIZ?(Quiz found on pg. xiii of Cupidity)

True or False?T F 1. In every (or almost every) relationship you’ve had, you’ve heard or had the same complaint.T F 2. You think and act with your heart instead of your head.T F 3. You feel like you’ve “settled” in a relationship.T F 4. You wish you could change your significant other and make them better suited for you.T F 5. You’ve been burned in love.T F 6. You just can’t seem to get over something a significant other did to you in the past.T F 7. You feel controlled or heavily impacted by your partner’s emotions.T F 8. You don’t love yourself enough to love another.T F 9. You think love is a feeling.

18-13: Hello, Cupid; meet Stupid.Well, it looks like you’ve come to the right place. Your love life could use a little vitamin C. And Cupidity is here to help. Don’t worry—we’ve all done stupid things in the name of love, but what’s really stupid is to keep doing them once you’ve seen the error of your ways. It’s time to take an honest look at how you think and feel about love and make some serious changes to get the stupidity out of your love life.

12-9: Cue the harp music.You’re definitely on the right track when it comes to this love thing. But don’t put the book down, because even if you’re a good student of love, we’ve got some new stuff for you to consider. Love is always looking for ways to improve itself, and in these pages that’s just what you will find. So let’s keep going and discover the subtle nuances of avoiding Cupidity.

‘I received a copy from Tyndale to facilitate my review and I was not compensated in any other way. This is my honest opinion only.’

Last year I did a review for Peter Pauper Press and I thought I would share a little from one of the items I reviewed since it’s the month of LOVE, a page from…..

‘The Little Pink Book of Etiquette, by Ruth Cullen’…..

DatingCourtesy is as much a mark of a gentleman as courage. -Theodore Roosevelt

Uh, yeah. I’ll call you.Dating is much like interviewing for a job. You clean yourself up, put your charming, witty self on display, and then wait for something to happen. And your good manners can make all the difference when it comes to scoring the job or second date.

The foremost rule of dating concerns cold, hard cash. As a general rule, the person who asks for the date pays for the date. Although you may wish to split the bill by choice, as someone else’s date you are not required to do so.

When the date is underway, do not ask for doggie bags, talk about exes, or receive cell phone calls- especially on first dates. You’ll have plenty of opportunities later in the relationship to ignore your companion and make a pig of yourself.

Now here’s the tricky part. Though convenient and tempting, it’s never a good idea to say you’ll call or e-mail when you know you won’t. When possible, be direct so that you avoid setting false expectations for someone else. Mature or direct types may have no trouble calling it like they see it: ‘Though I don’t think we’re a match, Tito, I enjoyed meeting you and wish you all the best. Buh bye.’ More times than not, however, our actions speak louder than our words. It may seem rude or cowardly, but when you don’t have the heart to tell someone how you really feel (‘I can’t get past your mullet.’), and you try to spare their feelings by hoping they get the message some other way (you move to Toledo), you’re actually showing them courtesy and respect.

If they don’t read your signals (you’re never home, or you’re very busy, or you have malaria, or the like) then give them time. If they’re still calling two years later and lurking outside your workplace, then call the police.

I thought this was insightful and funny. What are your thoughts? Have you done any of these things before?